The Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, has advised traditional rulers in the state to stay out of partisan politics.
He said they were free to host and pray for any politician but they should not take sides.
Diri spoke at the palace of the Ibedaowei (traditional ruler) of Kolokuma Kingdom, King Mozi Agara, in Kaiama, headquarters of the Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area as he rounded off his re-election campaign in constituency 1 of the area ahead of the November 11 governorship poll.
Recall that the state government had on October 18, 2023, announced the suspension of the traditional ruler of the Opokuma kingdom, King Boutua Aranka, “due to a reported case of falsehood and a misrepresentation of the chieftaincy laws of the state.”
The government also constituted a seven-member panel to investigate the allegations brought against the monarch.
At the weekend event, Diri was conferred with the chieftaincy title of “Olotu Kpekpe 1” (the one and only champion) while his deputy, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, was conferred with the title “Kuro Okpo 1” (Strong one) of Kolokuma/Opokuma.
Diri, a son of the local government area, thanked the royal fathers for the honour bestowed on him and his deputy and assured them that they would be worthy ambassadors of the kingdom.
He said, “We are not in Kolokuma/Opokuma to campaign. We came to greet our people and spend time with them.
“We thank you for your support over the years and we promise not to let you down. We are also confident that you will continue to support us.
“For our traditional rulers, I have been saying that the traditional institution must not be involved in politics. You can receive and pray for anybody but you should not go beyond that. Traditional rulers should not be partisan.”
The governor also spoke at rallies in Odi, Kaiama and his community, Sampou, where he inaugurated the Government Technical College and completed internal roads
No comments:
Post a Comment